I'm trying to find out some info about speed cameras and plate recognition cameras but as you can imagine its not so readily available..what I'm more interested in are the cameras in the back of traffic cars...now i saw two today both at the side of the road..both volvo estates and both with cameras in the back screen. one was in a area with a high volume of slow moving traffic and one just at the bottom of a slip road to a motorway. are these anpr? checking number plates and insurance/mot etc or are they speed cameras? i went back past one of them on my journey back and it had gone? if they are speed cameras do they come chasing?..there were no speed camera signs? cant find any info other than on mobile vans and secured site cameras.

cheers

dan

Edited 21 November, 200817 yr by supercharged spaniel

If there was no speed camera sign one would like to think it wasnt?

"The DVLA’s enforcement contractor, NCP, uses a fleet of vans equipped with state-of-the-art Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology.

This technology can check number plates against a list of untaxed vehicles in seconds. This action will make it harder than ever for car tax evaders to escape detection."

^^^sounds more like your decription

If there was no speed camera sign one would like to think it wasnt?

"The DVLA’s enforcement contractor, NCP, uses a fleet of vans equipped with state-of-the-art Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology.

This technology can check number plates against a list of untaxed vehicles in seconds. This action will make it harder than ever for car tax evaders to escape detection."

^^^sounds more like your decription

wasnt a van though was a marked traffic cop car?

Traffic cars are also fitted with ANPR cameras. Seen them on Traffic Cops etc..

These devices in the back of the traffic t5 estates are ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) They basically check for tax etc. automatically, hence them being parked with slow moving traffic.

The usual spot for these are where the a195 meets the A1 as you get alot of bunched up traffic there.

Traffic cops who catch speeders tend to work in pairs. Also the cars must be roadworthy and you're well within your rights to check this. If you've been caught bang to rights, check calibration of the speed device and also check for bulbs out and illegal tyres! If their car isn't legit, they shouldn't be on the road and therefore you get off!

Camera vans must be clearly visible and must display the speed camera sign. They're also known to be very inaccurate, so ask for the calculations if you get caught!

Traffic cars are also fitted with ANPR cameras. Seen them on Traffic Cops etc..

ah right so it is possible? in the back screen? the policeman looked like he was having a sleep to be honest ha ha...I've seen them too on the tv but it was ages ago..i ideally wanted to find something on police car technology but i bet a lot of it is kept fairly hush hush...

These devices in the back of the traffic t5 estates are ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) They basically check for tax etc. automatically, hence them being parked with slow moving traffic.

The usual spot for these are where the a195 meets the A1 as you get alot of bunched up traffic there.

Traffic cops who catch speeders tend to work in pairs. Also the cars must be roadworthy and you're well within your rights to check this. If you've been caught bang to rights, check calibration of the speed device and also check for bulbs out and illegal tyres! If their car isn't legit, they shouldn't be on the road and therefore you get off!

Camera vans must be clearly visible and must display the speed camera sign. They're also known to be very inaccurate, so ask for the calculations if you get caught!

nice.. not worried about getting caught..well i dont think i was speeding ha..panda it was on the slip road/bridge of the a19 heading off wesington way southbound towards the echo house. other one was on the north side of the alex bridge.

Something else is that their cars ARE NOT standard.

My mates vectra came with alot of history including documents detailing special police spec brakes!

Something else is that their cars ARE NOT standard.

My mates vectra came with alot of history including documents detailing special police spec brakes!

ha..proper secret stuff finding any info about the cars spec is solid to find. if at all.

thinking about it i dont think i was speeding although i did brake hard as a reaction to seeing it

Edited 21 November, 200817 yr by supercharged spaniel

Dan, your comment proves exactly why these camera vans are dangerous.

You see them, slam on the anchors, some old woman with slower reactions slams into the back of your pride and joy.

yeh any marked traffic vehicle and most unmarked are armed with ANPR. the local oggy VRS's have got what litterally looks like a webcam mounted on a felexible mount and the camera pokes in from the side of the rear screen about 2-3 inches, so hardd to notice it but I'm an observant driver! round here theyve also got a couple of anpr'd up M5's!!

and about cop cars not being standard- totally agree, but it is usually down to safety devices such as higher spec brakes and they are remapped for efficiency rather than power but obviously there is gains in their power as again a mate got caught in his vRS by a unmarked one that pulled out and caught up with him pretty well and he wasnt hanging back.....

I would guess from what the OP has said that the cameras were ANPR ones, so as long as you are insured, the car isn't stolen, and the vehicle isn't linked to any crimes you'll be fine :)

Just a word of advice on cameras in general though - there are a lot of urban myths about police cameras and vehicles and speed gun calibration etc and how to get off with tickets but nearly all of it is nonsense. Traffic cops are very switched on generally and the chances of you getting a ticket and getting away with it in court are less than 0.5% statistically speaking.

A cautionary tale for all the internet traffic lawyers out there:

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp...20Court%20!!

i did brake hard as a reaction to seeing it

Haha, not a regular speeder or anything are you dan :p

yeh any marked traffic vehicle and most unmarked are armed with ANPR. the local oggy VRS's have got what litterally looks like a webcam mounted on a felexible mount and the camera pokes in from the side of the rear screen about 2-3 inches, so hardd to notice it but I'm an observant driver! round here theyve also got a couple of anpr'd up M5's!!

and about cop cars not being standard- totally agree, but it is usually down to safety devices such as higher spec brakes and they are remapped for efficiency rather than power but obviously there is gains in their power as again a mate got caught in his vRS by a unmarked one that pulled out and caught up with him pretty well and he wasnt hanging back.....

well it was in the rear screen inside the car it seems....according to some people I've been talking to marked traffic cop cars when out to catch speeders will come after you and sometimes just sit to deter speeding..they wont catch you and send letters out like the vans...its most likely anpr like youve all said anyway..

Yeah, it's ANPR, which basically does a document check and a check against the registerred keeper being a dodgy character. Traffic cars can't check speed other than via VASCAR, ie by following you.

Something else is that their cars ARE NOT standard.

My mates vectra came with alot of history including documents detailing special police spec brakes!

I asked an ex-traffic copper about this. Apparently their cars "are" standard, they just accelerate faster as Policemen wear heavier boots

As an aside, if you know anyone who owns a Discovery, next time they change their springs, tell them to go for Police spec ones, they're dirt cheap and made for road handling whilst retaining good road holding characteristics.

Traffic cars are also fitted with ANPR cameras. Seen them on Traffic Cops etc..

ah right so it is possible? in the back screen? the policeman looked like he was having a sleep to be honest ha ha...I've seen them too on the tv but it was ages ago..i ideally wanted to find something on police car technology but i bet a lot of it is kept fairly hush hush...

They will be ANPR dude, nothing else.

I know this because there was one in Manchester parked up just onto the sliproad of the M60 a few weeks ago, and i got pulled.

I got pulled for having no front plate, well it's in the window so the ANPR didn't pick it up, the car with the camera usually doesn't pull you, they usually have another one waiting further down the motorway that pulls you, anyway needless to say i was completely legit, and they didnt even question the plate being in the window.